Where are you from originally?
I grew up outside of Louisville, Kentucky — a great place to spend one’s Wonderbread years.

Why did you want to become a lawyer? Why did you choose to focus on your area(s) of law?
I actually wanted to become a literary manager for a theater company but when I got my advanced degree in 1980 there were no jobs. Law seemed a good option, and I had to decide in a hurry.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A paleontologist, of course. Doesn’t everyone?

What have you learned from a student that still sticks with you?
Humility. They often know more than I do.

Which UVA Law class would you most like to take?
Anything by Caleb Nelson.